Students with food allergies, vegetarians/vegans, picky eaters, or students with religious dietary restrictions, as well as those prone to eating disorders should be cautious of their dietary needs while studying abroad. Just because the U.S. has to label products that are contained in the food doesn’t mean that other countries follow that same guideline. For example, some countries may not label food containing nut products. So if you’re allergic to nut products, you’ll want to be careful about what you’re eating. For those fellow vegetarians/vegans, many countries don’t understand the concept of vegetarianism, so you may have a difficult time finding a meal that doesn’t contain animal products.  

For those picky eaters, it can be hard to try new and unfamiliar foods but it’s a good idea to be open to this experience. You obviously can’t be forced to eat anything, but you would hate in insult the person who prepared the food for you. Be open to trying new things, and maybe you’ll realize that they aren’t that bad. Who knows, you may even find something that you enjoy. Just remember to be open to trying new things and if you find something you don’t like, be polite about it and you won’t have to eat it again.

-Danielle